In a chilling courtroom confession, Christopher Baltezar Hernandez has admitted to the brutal murder of a family of five in Tijuana, including three young children. Hernandez, a Fresno man, reached a guilty plea in a federal court, recounting details of the calculated slayings that he and an accomplice carried out on December 3, 2021.
Hernandez and co-conspirator Victor Aguilar meticulously planned and then executed the slayings after stalking the family. According to the press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the duo armed themselves with a .223 caliber assault rifle and a revolver, donned in dark clothing and gloves, to ultimately take five innocent lives in their home across the border.
During their attack at the family's residence, Hernandez and Aguilar shot and killed J.H., the mother, along with her eight-year-old daughter, A.M.M., in the kitchen. G.M.V., another family member, was tragically killed while trying to protect two other children. The nine-year-old A.M. and four-year-old S.M. were both executed with a shot to the head. What preceded this heinous crime was Hernandez and his accomplice researching the victims’ address more than 200 times, further illuminating the premeditation in their murderous spree.
This case, somewhat overlooked by mainstream media earlier, reflects a haunting disregard for human life. Hernandez's own hands assembled the weapon used in the murder, acquiring parts to build the assault rifle and revolver speed loaders. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has scheduled the sentencing for Hernandez on March 18, 2024, while Aguilar is expected to be sentenced on June 26 of the same year. Their crimes carry a maximum penalty of life in prison under the charges of Conspiracy to Murder and Stalking Resulting in Death.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department have brought the perpetrators to justice.
